Bambos Charalambous MP for Southgate was special guest on Saturday 15 June at a tea party organised by Evoulla Nicolaou and Egli Zacharias in aid of Valentino Erodotou who is suffering from a very rare condition and is desperate for a diagnosis.
The event raised £1205; the family wish to thank all those who attended the tea party and donated, as well as Aroma Patisserie for kindly donating the savouries.

16-year-old Valentino he has been in constant pain for 18 months and has lost the ability to walk unaided. He no longer sees his friends, and is unable to go to school and enjoy the things a normal child his age would do.

The family has spent months visiting the GP and hospitals via the NHS, but so far these have been unable to find a diagnosis in order to start treating his condition.
As a result, his parents have taken him to various private paediatricians, neurologists and diagnosticians, all of whom have their own theories as to what could be causing his condition.
A recent visit to a Harley Street specialist resulted in Valentino being diagnosed with gluten ataxia. However, doctors at the Sheffield Ataxia specialist hospital determined that Valentino did NOT have this condition.

Since then, a referral to the UCLH Chronic Fatigue Syndrome department came through. Doctors there confirmed what the family already knew, that Valentino does not suffer with CFS.

After being provided with all of Valentino’s files, tests and results, most of which were done privately, doctors stated that they would meet with colleagues to decide the best path of action and referral route. After weeks of waiting, countless phone calls and messages left, the family finally received a call back from the doctor that saw Valentino. Her response: “Unfortunately Valentino is not our patient, we have seen him only once. We cannot refer him but can offer him rehab!”
It seems that these doctors have washed their hands of Valentino’s health issue and the faith in the NHS has diminished for the family.

Fundraising is now more significant than ever as Valentino’s parents continue to search and give some hope to their son by looking into options abroad; in the USA and Mexico as well as Russia.

A donation to help find a diagnosis would be most gratefully received – please visit  https://uk.gofundme.com/5pfbh-help-valentino

The family also pleads that people share Valentino’s story in the hope that someone out there may be able to identify and shed some light on his condition.